Enclosed ferris wheel toy



Oct- 7, 1969 w. M. LAKIN ENCLOSED FERRIS WHEEL TOY 3 Sheets$heet 1 FiledMay 16, 1966 mvsmoa Willis M. Lakm Oct. 7, 1969 I w. M. LAKIN 3,471,143

ENCLOSED FERRIS WHEEL TOY Filed "ma 16, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet 2 MA 653INVENTOR.

Fig 4 I Wfl1isM-LaKi/n a, ATTORNEY.

United States Patent US. Cl. 272-61 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA toy Ferris wheel is disclosed wherein a wind-up music box is elevatedabove a base with its wind-up spindle aligned with one end of an axleabout which the wheel turns and is rotated by power taken from the bullgear of the music box by means of a gear rotating freely about thespindle and coupled with a hub portion of the wheel, the wheel and motorbeing enclosed within a transparent enclosure which is of somewhatdrum-shape with an approximately intermediate cylindrical wall betweenopposite motor and the other of which is distant from the motor andbeyond the side of the wheel which is distant from the motor andsupports the end region of the axle which is farthest from the motor,the enclosure having an opening in the intermediate wall portion bywhich it is fitted down upon the Ferris wheel into engagement with thebase.

by a transparent globe-like enclosure within which a miniature Ferriswheel rotates 1n accompaniment to the tune of a music box which alsodrives the Ferris wheel dependently uponcertain combinations andconstructions of supporting and driving components which are among thefeatures of novelty and utility of the disclosure.

Among some of the principal innovations in the construction are theprovision of an elevated mounting of the combination music box anddriving mechanism which affords a direct driving interconnection withthe Ferris wheel and an axial support for the wheel, the transparentenclosing dome affording another axial support for said wheel.

Further features of the disclosure relate to the construction and methodof seating and securing the elevated motor mechanism, as Well as theinterengagement and securing of the base and dome components, and theinclusion as part of the axial support of the Ferris wheel of a controlmember accessible exteriorly of the enclosing dome member.

Still further aspects of novelty and utility relate to details of thepreferred commercial embodiment of the toy more particularly describedhereinafter in view of the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective of the toy Ferris wheel;

FIGURE 2 is an end view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation showing the elevated motor housing andsupport;

FIGURE 3-A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the scallopedflange seating;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the bottom of the base section;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section to enlarged scale through themusic box mechanism and Ferris wheel axle structure as seen along lines5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5-A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of thief-gearcoupling;

side walls, one of which is proximate to the elevated ice FIGURE 6 is apartial exploded perspective of parts of the elevated motor unit, Ferriswheel structure and axle means;

I FIGURE '6A is a magnified elevational detail of wheel hub coupling;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the inner side of the bottom ofthe base structure (which is seen in FIGURE 4) and looking in thedirection of lines 77 of FIGURE 1.

As depicted in FIGURE 1, the toy comprises a base 10 having a pedestalportion 11 of somewhat dished configuration defined by downwardly-turnedarcuate side flanges or ledges 12 on the opposite sides thereof, andrecessed horizontally-extensive scalloped end flanges 13, recessed as at19, at a higher level at the opposite ends thereof, FIGURES 2 and 5,constituting upper wing portions.

Seating upon the base in mating interfit with said arcuate side flanges,is a transparent enclosure 15 of somewhat flattened globularconfiguration made of clear, shatter-resistant plastic with a bottomopening having margins 16 fitting in behind said arcuate side flanges 12in the manner illustrated at the bottom of FIGURES 2 and 5, there beinga number of conical prongs 18 upstanding on the inner face of saidbottom and disposed in closely spaced relation to said margins 16, as inFIGURE 5, thereby confining said margins close against said bottomflanges, the plastic material of the enclosing dome being suflicientlyyieldable to permit a close seating of the margins of its bottom openingin behind said prongs 18 in the floor of the base.

The aforesaid bottom opening of the enclosing dome extends upwardly to ahigher level at the opposite narrowed sides thereof into conjunctionwith transversely-extending margins 16T (FIGURES l, 2 and 3), themarginal portions of which are turned outwardly to define horizontalscalloped flanges 17 respectively nesting within the correspondinglyscalloped and recessed ledges 12 which are part of the base structure(FIGURE 3-A also). Rivets 20 through the dome scallops and the basescallops secure these parts in, recessed portions 19, assembly after theinternal components such as the Ferris wheel and motor block have beeninstalled, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

As seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, the Ferris wheel structure is alsofabricated from molded plastic components and comprises a pair of spiderframes each having a polygonal rim 24 joined by radial spokes 25 to atubular hub portion 26. The spiders are joined together by cross members27 respectively cemented at opposite ends to the rims of the frames atthe respective junctures of the spokes therewith, thus forming a rigidopen-work wheel.

Between each pair of spokes is a pendulously swinging carriage takingthe form of an open seat 28, a figurine 29 being disposed in each seatand there being pivot studs 30 at opposite sides of the carriages andjournalled in aligned holes in the two spiders, so that the weight ofeach carriage is below the pivotal axis and the simulated occupantsmaintain an upright position as the wheel rotates, in the manner of theactual Ferris wheel.

The wheel structure, as such, is completed by addition of a decorativedevice, such as the spangled and colored star 33, FIGURE 6, carried onthe hub member.

Rotational mounting of the wheel is effected by means of a longhexagonal axle 32 (FIGURES 5 and 6) extending through and beyond bothends of the bore of said hub and engaging in the hexagonal socket 37X ofthe hub 37 of a control member or knob 38 disposed on the outside of theenclosing hood or dome in a manner such that the hub of the knob affordsa bearing for itself and for the wheel spindle on that particular sideof the dome, while the opposite end 35 of the long axle is provided withan internally threaded socket 34 turning onto the exposed end of awinding spindle 40 projecting from the power spring 41 carried by theframe 42 of the motor (FIGURES 5, 6 and 6A).

Some of the components of the music box motor are well-known, such asthe combination frame and harp casting 42 aforesaid, a tone drum 51(FIGURE rotatable with a coaxial bull gear 52 driven by other known gearmeans, not seen, from the usual wind-up clock spring means 41.

A novel aspect of the music-box motor (which is the subject of my U.S.Patent No. 3,279,793, filed December 14, 1964, and granted on October18, 1966) is the provision of a thief gear 54 in the form of a crowngear having a crown of teeth 55 meshing with the bull gear, the crowngear being supported for free rotation about the spring winding spindle40, and seating rotatively in an angular seat 56 especially provided inthe motor casting 42 (FIGURE 6-A). The face of the thief gear oppositefrom the teeth (FIGURES 6 and 6-A) is provided with a coupling formationin the form of an hexagonal hub 57 which has driving interfit with amating hexagonal socket formation 26X (FIGURE 5A) molded in thejuxtaposed hub of the Ferris wheel spider on the motor side of theWheel.

The hub 37 of the winding knob is rotatably captured in the side wall15A of the dome member, which is opposite from the side 15B confrontingthe motor unit, by means of a circumambient groove at 376 therein inwhich the margins of an undersized hole at 15X in said dome wall fit asa result of forcing the knob hub into the hole, in consequence of whichthe knob is freely rotatable but to all purposes otherwise fastened tothe wall, and may be manually rotated to transmit spring-winding motionthrough the hexagonal shaft 32 and its threaded engagement with themotor-spring spindle 40 on which the small compression spring 43 iscarried, the latter spring acting against the thief gear to hold thesame in engagement with the bull gear on the one hand and against theFerris Wheel hub in hexagonal socket 26X to urge the opposite end ofsaid wheel hub against the near end of the knob hub 37, whereby theFerris wheel is prevented from shifting axially along the axle rod 32upon which it otherwise freely floats, since the bore of the wheel hub26 is round and closely but amply oversize so as not to intercouple withthe axle, whereas the axle rod does couple with the knob hub owing tointerfit of the hexagonal configurations thereof with the like socketconfigurations within the knob hub 37.

Thus, the Ferris wheel is wholly supported upon and rotates freely aboutthe axle 32, but is drivingly coupled With the thief gear through thehexagonal coupling means 58 on the latter and the interfitting socket26X on the wheel. The simple motor spring drive means 41 is of a knowncharacter usually found in music boxes such that the spring windingspindle 40 turns quite slowly as the spring unwinds, this motion beingtransmitted through the axle to the winding and control knob means 37,38, it being recalled that the latter is rotatably seated in the domewall, so that the control or winding knob likewise turns very slowly asthe spring unwinds. However, the Ferris wheel may turn at a differentspeed quite independently of the spring spindle 40 since the speed ofthe wheel depends upon the speed of the thief gear which in turn dependsupon the speed of the bull gear 52 and its associated tone drum 51.

It will be seen accordingly that the construction affords a meanssupporting the Ferris wheel for free rotation whereby an axle hassupport at one end by a coupling with the spring spindle of a wind-upmotor which is elevated in a special housing into alignment therewithfor the purpose, and for the further purpose, of intercoupling in axialalignment a hub portion of the Ferris wheel with a coupling member on athief gear freely rotating about the same spring spindle and urged intodriving engagement with the bull gear on the music box as well, whileopposite end portions of the wheel axle are journalled in like elevationcooperatively with the control knob rotating in a wall of the enclosureopposite from the elevated motor, such an enclosed assemblage of theparts being possible as a consequence of the limited flexibility oryieldability of the plastic material of which the dome is formed.

Elevation of the music box for the driving purposes described isachieved by encasing the same in a small plastic housing 60 (FIGURE 6)with spaced support means of required height, such as the stilts or legs62, depending therefrom and securing a footing 64 of the resulting unitupon an inside portion of the base member 11.

In the embodiment shown the supporting means consists of tri-podalprojections 62 integrally moulded as rigid pendant parts of the housing60, together with means for locating this assemblage and securing itsimply in operative position, the latter means comprising the footing orplatform 64, which likewise is moulded integrally with the stilt or legelements and the housing, said platform or footing plate havingpolygonal marginal portions afiording at least two spaced angularprojections 65A, 65B along the same side thereof for positioning injuxtaposition with respectively corresponding undercuts 67A, 67B formedin corner portions of a recess 68 moulded in the floor of the pedestal11, FIGURE 4 showing the outside of this recessed pedestal part as wellas the aforesaid angular projections 65A, 65B on the platform as theyare exposed through the slots or undercuts 67A, 67B into and throughwhich they are fitted, while FIGURE 7 shows the inner side of thisrecessed pedestal structure and the interfit of the angular platformprojections as aforesaid.

The platform 64 is locked in the foregoing position by means of a singlerivet 69 therethrough and through the bottom of the recessed part of thepedestal, as in FIG- URES 4 and 7, it being observed in the latter viewthat the platform is provided with a notch 70 which clears one of theupstanding prongs 18 previously described as guarding the placement ofthe margins of the dome opening. Perforations 71 are provided in therecessed floor area of the pedestal for propagation of the music boxsound waves, the plastic housing 60 for the music box affording asulficient sounding board for transmission of the vibrations of theusual music reeds (not seen) sounded by rotation of drum 51, with theresult that the described motor encasement and elevated mounting doesnot impair the propagation of the music with adequate volume to theexterior of the otherwise more or less sealed enclosure of the music boxand associated dome, it being further observed in FIGURE 4 that, to thesame ends, the outer face of the bottom of the base pedestal 11 will becleared from a supporting surface by integrally moulded leg formations73.

I claim:

A toy comprising a simulated Ferris wheel, a dished base of bow-shapedconfiguration, a motor housing and means supporting the same at anelevation above said base opposite one axial hub portion of said wheel,a music box supported within said housing and including a spring-drivenmotor, a spring-winding spindle, a thief gear supported upon androtating freely about said spindle, both the spindle and thief gearbeing exposed and aligned in juxtaposition with said hub portion and theaxis of rotation of the Ferris wheel; and a transparent dome structureof approximately drum-shaped cylindrical configuration having an openingin a side thereof fitting over the Ferris wheel and motor housing andsecured to said base and having opposite approximately circular sidewalls each lying in planes approximately normal to the axis of theFerris wheel; together with a normally horizontal axle rotativelysupporting the Ferris wheel with said hub portion thereof in closejuxtaposition with said thief gear, said axle for the wheel havingsupport at one end by engagement with said spindle, and having furthersupport at an opposite end region thereof with journalling means carriedby one of said side walls of the dome, together with means drivinglyinterconnecting said thief gear with the Ferris wheel at said hubportion thereof.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said Ferris Wheel floats freelyabout said axle, said journalling means carried by the side wall of thedome is a winding knob coupled with said axle and accessible exteriorlyof the dome such that the spindle may be turned by the knob through theaxle to wind the motor spring and the Ferris wheel rotates independentlyupon and about the axle.

3. In a toy of the class described, a simulated Ferris wheel having ahub structure, an axle, a base structure, a motor, means supporting themotor at a predetermined elevation above said base structure andopposite an end of the axis of rotation of the Ferris wheel and theappertaining end of said hub structure thereof with one end of said axlehaving rotative support cooperatively with a spindle forming part of awind-up means for the motor and carried by the latter, said spindlebeing rotatable by said axle; a transparent enclosing dome havingopposite side walls and fitting about said motor and Ferris wheel andcarried by said base structure with one of its said side walls adjacentsaid motor and the other side wall juxtaposed to an end of said Ferriswheel hub which is remote from said spindle; means carried by said otherside wall of the enclosure in alignment with said axis and journallingan appertaining end region of said axle which is opposite from the endthereof at the motor spindle; and means for imparting rotary motion tothe Ferris wheel by the motor and comprising a thief gear having totalrotative support upon said spindle and driven by the motor freely aboutthe axis of said spindle at the supportive conjunction of the axle withthe spindle and in close juxtaposition with an appertaining axial endportion of said wheel hub structure; together with coupling meansbetween said thief gear and wheel for rotation of the latter by theformer.

4. A toy Ferris wheel comprising an enclosure structure including abottom section and a surmounting hood section of transparentsubstantially rigid material in approximately drum shape having oppositeside walls connecting with an approximately cylindrical intervening walland an opening in said intervening wall closed in assembly with saidbottom section; a simulated Ferris wheel disposed within said hoodsection to rotate about an axle one end of which has journal support ina particular one of said side walls; a motor having a salient spindle;support means mounting the motor at an elevation within the hood sectionwith said spindle coaxially and drivingly engaging the end of said axleremote from said one thereof whereby the axle is disposed in ahorizontal sense in the normal upright attitude of the toy; said Ferriswheel having a hub portion juxtaposed with said motor and spindle; adriven gear having a hub supported on said spindle for free rotationthereabout but independently of rotation thereof, said gear havingdriving engagement with a driving gear in said motor; and meansdrivingly intercoupling the driven gear with said wheel hub portion.

5. The construction set forth in claim 4 wherein said support means forthe motor is a tower-like structure situated on the bottom section inadjacency to that one of the sidewalls which is opposite said particularwall.

6. The construction of claim 4 wherein the support means for the motoris an upstanding trestle-like structure surmounted by means securing themotor in assembly therewith, and said upstanding structure and motorare' 6 of an overall size in relation to the area of said adjacentsidewall such as to leave a substantial area of unobstructed viewthrough said sidewall to expose a major portion, more than half, of theFerris wheel.

7. The construction of claim 4 wherein said base section is in the formof an approximately U-shaped pedestal having abutting assembly withmarginal portions of said opening in the intervening wall.

8. The construction of claim 4 wherein said support means for the motoris a multipodal structure upstanding from said base section.

9. The construction of claim 4 wherein said journal support comprises awind-up knob secured to rotate in said particular sidewall and-hasdriving interfit with the appertaining end of said axle.-

10. The construction of claim 4 wherein said motor is a spring wind-upmusic box and said spindle is rotatable to wind up spring means therein;wherein said journal support is a wind-up knob exposed on the outside ofsaid particular sidewall and rotatable to turn said axle and impartwinding action to said spindle.

11. A construction according to claim 4 wherein said motor is aspring-windup music box having a bull gear rotating coaxially with atone drum, and said spindle is a windup spindle for spring meanspowering the motor with the spindle projecting saliently from'a side ofthe motor at right angles to the rotative axis of the bull gear; andsaid driven gear has teeth meshing with the teeth of the bull gear, saidhub of the driven gear contributing the entire rotative supporttherefor.

12. In an action toy, a base structure, a motor having a salient spindleand a bull gear rotating about an axis at right angles to the axis ofsaid spindle; said spindle being rotatable for motor control purposes;means mounting said motor at an elevation above said base structure withsaid spindle extending approximately horizontally; an axle for arotatable action structure, one end portion of said axle having coaxialdriving and support interengagement with said spindle; means journallingthe opposite end of said axle for rotation in approximately horizontalalignment with said spindle, said axle being rotatable to impart controland rotation to the spindle; an action structure freely rotatable aboutand upon said spindle and having a hub portion juxtaposed with saidspindle; a first gear having a hub portion carried upon said spindle andfreely rotatable thereon to support such gear for rotation independentlyof any rotation of such spindle, said first gear having drivingintermesh with said bull gear; and means drivingly intercoupli ng saidfirst gear with said hub portion of the rotatable action structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,733,528 2/1956 Miller et al272-45 2,949,697 8/1960 Ligitisetal.

3,114,216 12/1963 Crawford et al 46175 3,243,183 3/1966 Scranage 272 1sx OTHER REFERENCES Playthings, December 1963, page 76 (marble pump).Playthings, March 1966 (Ferris wheel).

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner ARNOLD W. KRAMER, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 46-175 4 QMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No 3,1171, 1143 Dated October 7, 1969 Inventor: WillisM Lakin It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 52 (claim 14), for "said one thereof" read --said one endthereof--,

Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 19 70 (SEAL) Anew WILLIAM E.'S-GHUYLER, m.

issioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, 1:, 00mm Attesting Officer

